Safety electric door opener



Aug. 9, 1927.

Filed May '7. 1925 a I v 7 w 4 m /7 I u INVENTOR.

Pmmw' 6. Canon Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

umren rnrnnna'r A. canon, ornnrnorr, ma man.

" 'jf SAFETY. ELECTRIODOOR OPENER;

Application filed May 7, 1925. Serial No. 234524;.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a door latch and particularly that class of door latcheswhich is used for locking the door and which are electrically operated by electro-magnets for re-v leasing the latch, so that it may be moved to inoperative position.

In the present invention, I have provided a positive means of locking the latch member in operative position, so that it is impossible to move the latch forming member into inoperative position without first moving the positive engaging means.

The object of'such a construction is the provision of a door latch, which must, of

necessity, be electrically operated, in order to permit the latch to move into inoperative position or taken apart to permit access of some tool to move the abutment member to inoperative position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood from a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of theinvention with the cover plate removed, showing parts in section,

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on substantially line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 14- of Fig. 1. i

As shown in the drawings, the invention is adapted for mounting in a recess 8 formed in a door frame 7. Latch members of this class are generally mounted in a housing, as shown in the drawings, saidhousing being seated in the recess 8 and comprising end walls 9 and 9; a cover plate 10; a removable front wall forming member 11; a'rear wall 11 and a bottom wall 12. 'The rear wall 11 is cut away at 13 to provide a notch. Extending around the notch 13 on the inner surface of the wall 11' is a flange forming -member 1 1, adapted to form with the rear wall 11 a channel in which may be slidably positioned the terminal plate 15, which is generally made of fibre, and adapted for carrying terminals to which wires (which are not shown) projected through the passageway 16 formed in the door oasing'7,

which. are'positioned in the housing.

may be attached. These wires are suitably connected to the electromagnetic coils 17,

The front wall-'11, which is a separate piece from the remainder of the housing is cut away, as at 1 8 to provide a notclr. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom wall 12 is also cut away as at 19, the cut-away portion 19 and the cuteaway portion 18 being located at rho same position. Swingablymounted on a stud 20- is an abutment member- 21, provided with a pair of bifurcations or legs 22 and 23, the leg 23 being cut away as at 24:, as is clearly seen in Fig. 2. The leg 23 is adapted to ride behind and serve as an abutment for the heel 25, of a latch member, which is pivotally mounted on a stud, or pin, 26 supported in a bearing on the end wall 9 and an inwardly projecting wallforming member 28. Thenose 27 of this latch forming member isadapted, when in operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and- .2, to project slightly beyond the outer face of the frontwall 11. Formed on the rear wall 11. is a boss 29 which is ada 'ited to serve as an abutment for one end of the leaf spring 30, the opposite end of which is adapted to engage in a recess 31 formed in the latch member, the function of the leaf spring being to normally retain the latch member in operative position. A lateral projection 22 is mounted on the leg 22, to engage behind the base of the latch member, to prevent movement of the same. Extending longitudinally of the bottom wall 12 is an abutment rib 32, which is adapted to en gage the heel 25, whenthe latch member is in operative position, as is clearly seen in Fig. 2.

Secured at one end to the member 21 is a leaf spring 33, the opposite end of which isv adapted for normally engaging against one of the cores of the electro-magnet 17. The end 33 normally retains the leg 23 in operative position, as shown in Fig. 1. Up-

on an energizing of the coil 17 the member 21 will be rocked on its mounting 20, so as to bring the parts into the form shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement of the member 21 into inoperative position will disengage the leg 23 and projection- 22" position is the spring 30. When the coils are energized in this manner, and a strain is exerted upon the nose of the latch member 27, a swinging of this latch into inoperative position will take place to permit an opening of the door. When the coils are deenergized, the latch member 27, being moved to operative position normally by the spring 30, will be looked against movement to inoperative position by a return of the leg 23 into engaging position with the heel 25 in response to the tension of the spring 33. It is evident that a strain exerted on the nose 2? of the latch forming member, when the abutment 23 is inoperative position, will not swing the latch member to inoperative position.

With an electrically operated lock of this class, constructed as shown, a positive means of looking the latch member 27 in operative position is provided, and a lock of simple structure is afforded, which cannot be opened with tampering, while it is positioned in the door casing 7.

It will be noted that the leg 22 is longer than the leg 23, this variation in the length of these legs being a purposeful one, inasmuch as the leg 22 is adapted to engage the inwardly projecting wall forming member 23, so as to limit the movement of the abutment member, 21 when moving from inoperative to operative position.

It will also be noted that the leg 23, at its cutaway portion 2%, engages two sides of the heel 25, so that the resistance olfered to the latch forming member in its swinging movement is delivered from at least two sides, thus rendering the device more efllcient than were the engagement to be along a single side.

WVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of structure, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise form of structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

A look of the class described, comprising a swingably mounted latch member; a heel projecting from the rearward portion substantially centrally thereof; resilient means for normally retaining said latch forming member in operative position; a swingably mounted abutment member adapted to swing in a plane parallel to the axis of said latch member, having a pair of spacedlegs projecting therefrom, one leg being shorter than the other, the shorter of said legs being provided with a cut-away portion adapted to engage the heel of the latch member, to'prevent said latch member from moving into inoperative position; means engageable by the longer of said legs to limit the movement of the abutment member in moving from inoperative to operative position; re-

silient means for normally retaining said abutment member in operative engagement with said latch member and means electrioally operated, for moving the abutment member to inoperative position, in order to release said latch member. Y

In testimony whereof, I have signed the foregoing specification.

PHILBERT A. GABON. 

